Apple is making its AppleCare+ extended warranty plan a little more expensive for some users.
For all current models in the United States, Apple is raising the monthly subscription price by 50 cents. That means the monthly cost of standard AppleCare+ for an iPhone 16 is now $8.49 instead of $7.99. The price increase applies to all current iPhone models and to both AppleCare+ and AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss.
AppleCare+ provides repairs for up to 2 incidents of theft or loss coverage every 12 months for a deductible (Screen or back glass damage, $29; other accidental damage, $99).
What’s more, Apple seems to be encouraging consumers to pay this monthly fee more often. While you can still buy the standard full up-front 2 years of AppleCare+ coverage at the point of purchase if you buy online, the same is not true of retail purchases. As reported by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the company will no longer allow the up-front 2-year purchase option at retail or in the AppleCare menu option on the iPhone itself.
Gurman says Apple Store employees have been instructed to tell customers the change is “designed to lower upfront costs and prevent future gaps in coverage.” What’s more, they are instructed to push the pricier Theft & Loss version of AppleCare+, which provides a replacement iPhone for $149 and costs as much as $13.99 a month depending on the iPhone model.
Note that the price increase for AppleCare+ appears to only apply to iPhones, and not yet to other Apple products. The monthly cost of AppleCare+ for the Mac ranges from $6.49 to $17.99 a month, while the iPad costs between $3.49 and $8.49 depending on the model.
